In the field of optics or illumination, there is a need for transmitting light energy in a prescribed manner. The available light sources, for example, gas discharge lamps, incandescent lamps, etc., are not generally point sources since their light producing means such as gas discharge paths, tungsten filament coils, etc., are by virtue of their shape extended in space to a certain extent. Therefore, it is extremely difficult, in the case of conventional devices, to make fullest use of the total energy of a light source for the required purpose, or to transmit the light in an optically correct or concentrated manner to a light utilization device.
In order to keep optical errors as low as possible, conventional projection methods use special light sources whose light-radiating means are as point-shaped as possible. These light sources, however, are relatively expensive, have a very short operating life, and, moreover, their maximum output power is limited. With more sophisticated designs of the coiled filaments or of the gas discharge paths, a longer life and higher power are obtainable; however, optically accurate geometry is difficult to achieve therewith.
Conventional light-generating units are neither characterized by optimum light yield nor by optimum light transmission. In particular, conventional home light fixtures which utilize high power light sources produce undesirable glare. For this reason conventional light fixtures, or lamp assemblies, especially those utilized in homes, are restricted to the use of light sources, typically incandescent lamps, with relatively low luminance, in which case, to produce a large luminous flux, a plurality of smaller light sources are required.
Light sources with very high luminance, for example with luminances up to a 100 times the luminance of a standard incandescent lamp, are well known; however, they cannot be considered for use in home light fixtures or for lamp assemblies because of their high glare effect, the reason being that with conventional means it is difficult to radiate out the light of high-power light sources in a diffused and glare-free manner, even though high-power light sources are considerably more efficient than low-power light sources.
It is a broad object of this invention to provide an arrangement which radiates out light by relatively simple means, more specifically, the arrangement makes it possible to collect the output light of light sources, which are not even point-shaped, into beams of light in an optically correct manner, or to concentrate or to radiate out the light in a glare-free and diffused manner.